(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new microbiological process for preparation of the antituberculous antibiotic capreomycin.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Capreomycin is a known polypeptide antibiotic complex composed of four biologically active components designated as capreomycins IA, IB, IIA and IIB. Production of capreomycin by fermentation of Streptomyces capreolus has been described by Herr, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,468. The capreomycin components have been characterized [Herr, et al., Annals of N.Y. Acad. Sci. 135: 940-946 (1966)], but their precise structural determination has not yet been established. A structure for capreomycin IB, the principal component of the capreomycin complex, has been proposed by Johnson, et al. in Nature 231: 301-302 (1971).
Capreomycin is reported to be active against a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria but is of primary interest for its use as an antituberculosis agent.